Illicit
by The Taloned Merlin
Summary: Mei's betrothed attempts to break Alphonse. Rated for some language and mentions of sexual activity.


Disclaimer: I do not own FMA.

Illicit

The harvest festival was nigh over, but the guests seemed reluctant to leave. People lurked around the half-empty trestle tables, picking desserts off platters and chattering gaily. Servants looked tired now, scuttling about with round, silver trays, and it had grown dark outside. He could see Mei advancing towards him with her companion, and he nodded and smiled when she asked if he had enjoyed himself, merely because she was soon to be his wife, and a good lord did not needlessly pick arguments with his betrothed.

The reason he had lacked much enthusiasm for the evening stood before him in the form of an Amestrian man in foreign clothes. To an ordinary pair of eyes, he seemed decent enough: crisply dressed, not a hair out of place, and a smile that would light up the darkest of alleyways. Most people took an immediate liking towards this mild-mannered youth with his quiet grace and easy bearing.

But the lord was not one of those people, and when Mei excused herself to talk with one of her half-sisters, he did not miss the look she gave her friend, which was fleeting, but demure and knowing as well; he would have to have been a fool to not understand it. It was too comfortable a gaze for mere acquaintance, too secretive for simple friendship, and when the Amestrian smiled, he wondered how many times those well-formed lips had been ardently kissed by _his_ lady.

The two were left alone, and he gave no room for awkward silences. "Mei did not introduce me to you," he said in a barely-polite tone. If the youth was ruffled, he did not show it, instead answering, "Didn't she? I'm Alphonse Elric – pleased to meet you." He held out a hand, but the lord did not take it. He said, "Elric," as if judging him by the taste of the word on his tongue. "Shall we walk outside? Let's get to know each other."

At this Alphonse's smile faded a bit, but he followed him wordlessly out of the house into the dew-strewn gardens. Their feet made no sound as they walked on the soft grass, though their shoes got damp and were stuck with dirt. At length they stopped some distance from the house, by a few tangled bushes, and the lord turned abruptly to the other. "How old are you?" he said, not bothering with niceties now that they were out of earshot.

Alphonse still did not lose his light-hearted tone. "Twenty six, and I've a brother who's a year older," he said conversationally. The lord did not miss the way Alphonse stood with one hand casually in his trouser-pocket, as if he was not standing before the future leader of the Chan clan. He eyed him, noting the way his flaxen hair had turned silvery in the moonlight, the way his unnatural golden eyes gleamed with a green-blue tinge under the night sky. He did not deserve to be among pure-blooded Xingese folk whose eyes and flowing hair were coloured richly, dark as coal.

"A year younger than I am, then," he replied. "How long have you known Mei?"

"Several years now," Alphonse replied, plucking a jasmine from a nearby bush and twirling it between his long fingers. He placed it against his nose and took a long breath, savouring the smell. "I met her when I was fifteen."

The lord huffed. "I suggest you give your full attention to me; realise who you're talking to."

Alphonse slowly raised his eyes, and it was only through sheer strength of will that the lord did not flinch at the subtly dark look; this person could be dangerous, he grasped. But Alphonse merely dropped the flower and inclined his head to one side, as if to say, "Go on, then. Please continue."

He gritted his teeth. The man was infuriating! "Watch yourself," he growled.

"For what reason?" the other replied simply, reverting back to his earlier, genial air. "I've done nothing wrong."

"You have, and don't try to hide it."

Alphonse narrowed his eyes; they had a touch of doubt, despite his words: "Would you care to elaborate?"

The lord gave a twisted smile. "You say you've known Mei for a while now," he said. "How many times have you pulled her into your bed, knowing she was not yours to take?"

Alphonse visibly stiffened, all signs of amiability gone; his eyes were hard as flints. "What evidence do you have for this? I've done nothing with her."

_Oh, you liar_, the lord thought gleefully. _It's written all over your face_. "The servants," he said, his smile widening, "seem to know a fair amount."

"Ridiculous," Alphonse scoffed. "I'd no idea a Xingese lord could stoop so low as to fib in order to insult someone he barely knows."

"Ah, but who is the true fibber?" he returned, arching a fine black eyebrow. He was enjoying this immensely.

Alphonse slowly removed his hand from his pocket. His face was blank save the hot anger in his eyes. The lord took this as a victory, and his heart was filled with bitter happiness. He was taken aback when the other began to chuckle, his shoulders shaking. "You can defame me all you like," said Alphonse, running a hand through his now wind-blown hair. "I assure you, it's nothing compared to the way I admonished myself when I was a child." He suddenly drew a breath, ignoring the lord's puzzled face. "All I ask is that you don't do the same to Mei."

"Are you admitting your faults?"

"The ones I committed in my childhood? Yes. The ones concerning Mei? No, because I've been falsely accused."

The lord pressed, not heeding Alphonse's mention of whatever past sins he had engaged in, "But you seem to be very concerned about Mei; why would you be, if you aren't in love with her?"

Alphonse's smile suddenly blazed again, like the sun waving away grey storm-clouds. "Like I said: I've known Mei for years. I've studied with her, travelled with her. I know her fears and wishes, and she knows mine. I love her."

The lord started, his mouth agape. This Amestrian was truly a mass of contradictions.

Alphonse continued, "But I'm not _in_ love with her. There's a difference." He put both his hands back into his pockets again, and looked up at the diamond-bright stars, and his eyes grew hazy as if lost in an old memory. "I love many people, lord. My brother, and my sister-in-law, and my nephew and niece, and several others besides whom I am not related to save by bonds of friendship. I can't help it. I need people around me who I care about, and I can't choose between any of them. Heaven knows I'd rather die than let them get hurt." He spoke without rancour, and it was clear he was entirely sincere, but he was changing the topic, whether he knew it or not. The lord did not know whether to be envious of him, or to pull him into an embrace as a valuable friend.

He chose neither, and made an indignant sound, though that got no response from the younger man. He said, "Why do you care so much about them, as if you're going to lose them at any moment? You, who live in a wealthy, so called advanced land like Amestris, which wages war on any country it deems even mildly threatening? You have no idea of the hardships we face here in Xing, or of the wails of the children of Ishbal when their families were slaughtered like cattle."

There was a pause. "If you think that just because a country considers itself superior to all others it has no problems, you're more ignorant that I ever thought you were," said Alphonse, suddenly turning on him. "Even if you think of a place where there is no war, no pestilence – if such a place does or can ever exist – there will always be suffering. Humans are fallible; we will always make mistakes. Many of those mistakes will hurt. That's just the way of the world. I know. I've made terrible faults." His voice had become tight and hoarse.

Surprisingly, the lord found he could not sympathise. The two men stood together under starlight, quietly. After a while Alphonse began to walk away, but stopped after a few steps. "Just promise me one thing," he said. "Take care of Mei. Make sure she's happy."

'I don't owe you any favours, and I don't need you to tell me how to treat my betrothed. Do you take me for a barbarian?"

Alphonse gave a wan, ironic smile. "No," he said. "At any rate, if you try to hurt Mei, she'll hurt you back. That's just how she is."

"And you'll hurt me, too, won't you?" returned the other with a glint in his eye. "Or you'll hurt me in her place."

Another dry chuckle. "I'd certainly want to," he replied with brutal honesty. "Though I wouldn't want Xing declaring war on Amestris, so I probably won't; the warriors of your country are a fearsome lot." He abruptly turned round to face him, a scowl encased in his visage. "But make no mistake: I'll never help you in anything if you hurt her, and if there is an opportunity that won't harm anyone else, I'll make sure you'll suffer."

"I don't think we can ever come to terms with each other."

"That's a very pessimistic way of viewing things." Alphonse stretched languidly, as if the entire conversation had not taken place. He started and his eyes widened when the lord stated, "I can't see how Mei fell in love with you and your foreign ideas. But she did, and I know she will never love me as a husband. I know she wants you. For her sake – not yours – I won't confront her about this. I'm not a fool. I know love can't be forced out of anyone." He advanced towards the stiff Amestrian and clapped a hand on his slender shoulder. Their eyes met, and there was no friendship there. "But anyway, you should have no worries about your future. An intelligent, handsome man like you ought to have a family in no time."

Alphonse sucked in a breath; his fists clenched.

"Send a letter if you ever have any children," he called as he went away. "As you're not besotted with Mei, I have no worries about which woman you want."

When he was gone, Alphonse gritted his teeth and hissed, "You bastard. You complete bastard." He breathed heavily for a few moments, then forced himself to calm down, though his heart still beat furiously in his chest like a panicked bird in a small cage. He jumped when someone called his name. It was Mei, her hair in its usual braids and intricate leather sandals on her nimble feet.

She stopped by him, face a little flushed, and said, "He told me you were here." Her brow creased when she saw his expression. "Are you all right?"

He passed a hand over his brow. "Yeah." He decided that, for Mei's sake, he would not act frustrated; it would only worry her. So he forced a grin and said, "Shall we go inside?"

Mei took his hand in hers, giving it a small squeeze. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Yes," she said. "Let's go."

* * *

**Notes:**

**If you've read my other AlMei stories, you'll know that Alphonse is lying about not being in love with Mei (and about the other things he denied).**

**Please drop a review. :) **


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